"Vennela! Oh my God! No. Look at me. I was only kidding. I swear. Please look at me." Amar shook Vennela. She didn't respond.

"Vennela please, please. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I am an idiot." Amar's voice shook. His hands shivered.

"Yes, you are." Vennela opened her eyes.

"Vennela, are you alright? Wait, what?" Amar looked at her, puzzled.

Vennela cupped his face and laughed. "My darling husband. You can fool the entire world with your acting. But not your wife."

"Oh! Okay. But you scared me." Amar complained.

"You started the game." Vennela replied. "Now tell me. Should I punch you? Or should I kick you?"

"Sorry" He knelt and apologized. "You know me. Don't you? I have this stupid habit of ruining sweet moments. I just wanted to tease you for a few minutes and keep you waiting like how you kept me waiting all these months. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hey! That's okay. It would have been bland if you had just replied 'I love you too'. This is a story worth telling our grandkids. Their grandfather tried to fool me and ended up being the bigger fool. Now let's sleep."

"Wait. Don't you want to hear it from me?" Amar asked her.

"I do. But I won't force you. Say it only if you feel comfortable." Vennela slept by embracing him for the first time. He kept caressing her head until she fell asleep. He felt guilty. 'I need to tell her what she means to me.' He lay awake for a very long time planning a surprise for her. 

A week passed. One morning, Anirudh refused to talk to Amar. "I have been promised so many parties. But you broke all of them. Vadina recovered completely. Let's celebrate."

"I will give you an ice cream treat" said Amar.

"You are a miser" said Anirudh.

"If Anirudh wants a party then there will be a party this weekend." Vennela announced. 

"Vadina you are the best. Let me tell everyone." Anirudh left whistling. 

Amar smiled. "He is right. We need to celebrate. I forgot. I got something for you. It's in the backyard. Go, get it."

"Amar, gifts are usually given to the person" said Vennela.

"My gift is special. Just go" Amar gently pushed her.

She did as told. She was surprised to see a small lotus pond in the backyard which wasn't there before. She walked towards the pond excitedly. She found a letter right next to the pond with a paper weight on it. It was written by Amar. 

Remember the first gift I gave you? I had to climb a huge compound wall to get to the lotus pond. So, I thought, why not bring the lotus pond to our home? Like it? Now go and search for my next gift in the music room.

Vennela ran inside. She reached the music room. She opened the door to find the room full of balloons. She played with them for a minute when she remembered the gift he promised. She searched the entire room. There was one heart shaped balloon among others. There was a letter stuck to it.

You like balloons? I like them too. I blew air into all of them. You don't believe it? Burst them. You will know. Come on try it.

She burst a balloon. She felt his fragrance. She drew in a deep breath. She read the remaining letter.

Now, it's time to study. To the library.

She went inside the library and searched for her next gift. She couldn't find it. She was disappointed. She reached the shelf where her favourite Harry Potter books were kept. She felt a slight difference in the position of the shelf. She observed carefully to find a huge painting of hers hiding behind it.

Her jaw dropped. 'Am I really so beautiful?' She wondered. As expected, there was a letter stuck to it.

I didn't make this art work. I can't even draw a straight line properly. I made an artist draw it. But the concept was mine. Hope you don't mind. Now, wear your favourite blue saree and meet me at the lotus pond.

Vennela changed into the blue saree hurriedly and rushed to the backyard. She saw Amar standing there. "Amar" She whispered.

He turned around. "Moonlight, I know I should have said this ages ago. Sorry for the delay. I want you to experience the same blissful feeling I have experienced when I realized that you love me. The first time we fall in love, it changes us forever no matter how hard we try to resist. I have changed. Your love changed me from a machine to a human being. You made me realize that I have a right to dream, feel, laugh and cry. You taught me how to love someone with all my heart."

He paused and held her hands. She looked into his deep brown eyes. "Moonlight, I Love You. With all my heart and soul."

Vennela didn't know how to respond. She felt as if the entire world has come to halt. She looked at Amar, who seemed to be the only thing that is real. That was the moment she understood that he is her world.

"I love you Vennela" said Amar.

"I love you too Amar" said Vennela.

He kissed her. This time, there is no scope for confusion and misunderstandings. They knew they belonged to each other.

---***---

"Anna, take it off this instant" said Anirudh.

"Why? Should I go shirtless in the party?" asked Amar.

"Vadina sent a special tuxedo for you. You are going to wear that" said Anirudh.

Amar looked at the tuxedo Vennela sent. It was really nice. "Wow, let me thank her." He got up to go to the room where Vennela was getting ready. Anirudh pulled him back. Vennela has assigned him the task of keeping Amar busy.

"You are not allowed there" said Anirudh. "Amma has ordered me to keep you away from her."

"Why is everyone being a villain today?" Amar muttered.

In Vennela's room, she sat down in front of the mirror and let the stylists do the work. Ragini, as usual, was instructing them. 

"All set?" asked Lasya.

"Yes. But I'm nervous. What if he says no?" Vennela looked tensed.

"Akka why would he say no? He would jump with joy. Just go according to the plan" said Shruthi. She excused herself to check the arrangements. 

"Checking arrangements? I think she's gone to meet someone" said Ragini. She went after Shruthi. As expected, Shruthi was searching for Anirudh.

"Shruthi, have you seen Anirudh? Last time I saw him he was talking to Aisha" said Ragini.

Shruthi's face turned red on hearing Aisha's name. "He invited Aisha too?"

"Yes. He said he never felt like that about any other girl" said Raj, who was already in the plan along with Ragini.

Shruthi gasped. "Was that really him?" 

"Yes. He was holding her hand and staring at her as if she is a chocolate fountain" said Rishi.

Shruthi clenched her fists. "Let him stare at her. Why would I care? They make the worst pair in the world. He talks nonsense and she creates nuisance. Idiots."

"Wait. There's more. He was about to embrace her when we woke up from the dream" said Ragini. All three of them burst into laughter. Shruthi glared at them. 

"Just look at you. You look like you would explode." They laughed. "You like him. Don't you?"

"Don't know what you are talking about" Shruthi ran away.

After they stopped laughing, Rishi spoke. "I don't believe this. We are actually being cupids for our own sisters."

"Yes. Our code says we should keep them away from male species" said Raj. "Yet we're doing this."

"Hang the code. You two are doing a great job as matchmakers. Why don't you set up a dating or matrimony website in future?" Ragini suggested.

"Excellent idea! You be our first customer" said Rishi.

"You are the only single girl in our family" said Raj.

"I wish to be single for a few more years" said Ragini.

"You will definitely find someone who is stupid enough to fall for you" said Raj. She laughed and dismissed the thought.

The party started. Bharat and Shambhavi greeted the guests. Amar still couldn't understand why they have traveled all the way from London to Hyderabad, just to attend a party. He waited for Vennela. She descended the stairs wearing a red saree. Amar's jaw dropped. She looked prettier than the prettiest rose.

"Hello everyone. Welcome. I am very happy to have you all here. This party is in the honour of my wife Vennela, who has recovered from the effects of the accident that happened three months ago. A very happy moment for us. Thank you for sharing our happiness." He announced.

To his surprise, Vennela took the mic from him. "Thank you Amar. Hello everyone. Very pleased to have you here. Thank you very much for all the love and support."

She turned towards Amar. "This day marks the first anniversary of our first meeting."

Amar was surprised. He has completely forgotten that.

"Amar, we met as strangers. The marriage proposal came to me in an unexpected way. I wasn't ready for that. Now I can proudly say that I am ready to live my entire life being your wife."

She put the mic away and held his hands and looked into his eyes. Everyone looked at them, anticipating what she was going to say to him.

"Amar, will you marry me again and be mine forever?" Vennela held a ring with her right hand and proposed to him. "Be my companion for this life and all the lives to come."

Amar gasped. The guests clapped their hands with glee. 'Dear God! Please let him say yes.' Vennela prayed.

To say that Amar was elated was an understatement. He couldn't believe it was happening. If it was a dream, it was the most beautiful dream of his life. He regained composure and answered. "I would love to marry you a thousand times."

Vennela made Amar wear the ring. "Congratulations! We are engaged."

"Not yet. I'll be back in few minutes" Amar left. Vennela waited for him to return.

"Where did he go?" asked Anirudh. "Is he crying or what?"

"Crying is for kids. Amar Pratap doesn't cry." Amar returned with a ring in his hand. "I got this for you few weeks ago. Thought of giving it to you on new year."

He bent his knee and held the ring with his right hand. "Vennela, you are the answer to all my prayers. Will you honour me being my wife?"

Vennela couldn't speak. She nodded. Amar made Vennela wear the ring. "Congratulations! Now we are engaged." Everyone clapped.

"We have a wedding to plan" Anirudh screamed.

"I am telling everyone beforehand. I will be the designer this time" Ragini announced.

"I will be the official food taster this time" said Shruthi.

"We will be the official pranksters this time" said Rishi pointing at himself and Raj.

Vennela lowered her voice so that only Amar could hear her. "I will take wedding vows wholeheartedly this time."

---***---

Thank you